Where were the parents during 'Bong Hits 4 Jesus'?
I voted no on the Empire poll Sunday. Joseph Frederick of the "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" case does not have the right to sue for damages. We, as taxpayers, pay for the schools and teachers and expect them to keep order and to teach our children.

Only donations should be from constituents
I support Wayne M. Olson's proposal ("Making government representative," in the Empire on Aug. 8). A law requiring any campaign donations to an Alaska public office candidate must only come from his potential constituents is spot on.

Photo: Learning to skate
Carly Varness begins to fall off her skateboard while learning to ride Tuesday on Third Street in Douglas. "It's going to start snowing in a month and a half, so I better learn now," Varness said.

Lynn Canal herring may be threatened
Federal scientists are studying Pacific herring stocks in Lynn Canal to see if the fish should be listed as endangered or threatened, a move that could add more regulatory hurdles for the Kensington gold mine and other proposed developments in Berners Bay.

Proposition seeks to upgrade schools with code violations
Ronald Reagan was a first-term president the last time Harborview Elementary School's Eisenhower-era construction was remodeled. Glacier Valley Elementary has not been renovated since its completion during the first years of Lyndon Johnson's administration.

Rolando Rodriguez
Former Juneau resident Rolando Tolentino Rodriguez died Sept. 4, 2007, in Las Vegas, due to a fall causing a concussion which led to a hematoma. By his side were his brother, Rudolfo Rodriguez, and children. He was 63.

My Turn: Fluoridated water will hurt my children
Please don't fluoridate the water. I am very distressed by claims of absolute safety of fluoride for all people. That is simply not true. I'm one of the people who will be hurt by fluoridated water, and even worse, two of my children also will be hurt by fluoridation.

My turn: Time to put fluoridation behind us
"Water Fluoridation is obsolete. Nations who still practice it should feel ashamed of themselves," said Dr. Arvid Carlsson, pharmacologist and winner of the 2002 Nobel Prize in medicine and physiology.

SPORTS IN JUNEAU
Sports in Juneau is a service provided by the Juneau Empire to provide information on upcoming sports and outdoors events in Juneau.

Ayers ready for his next challenge
Two state baseball championships, six conference titles and dozens of former Juneau-Douglas High School players who participated in college rank among the accomplishments of Crimson Bears head baseball coach Jim Ayers.

JDHS running with confidence
Saturday may be the Southeast Conference cross country championships in Sitka, but the race should serve more as a warm-up than a cutthroat competition for the Juneau-Douglas High School boys and girls teams.

Huskies score late win over Tigers
A key two-point conversion by Trevor Pfaff lifted the Huskies to a 16-14 victory over the Tigers in Juneau Youth Football League Junior Division action on Saturday.

JDHS remains tops in the state
A convincing 20-6 victory over Colony helped the Juneau-Douglas High School football team remain on top of the latest Alaska Sports Broadcasting Network prep football poll.

Cowdery pulls out of special session on tax
State Sen. John Cowdery, R-Anchorage, announced Tuesday he will not participate in the October special legislative session on oil taxes, after he was implicated in the ongoing corruption trial in Anchorage.

Ramras alleges bribery by mine company
A Fairbanks legislator is asking the state's attorney general to investigate allegations of bribery by the developer of the hotly debated Pebble mine project in western Alaska.

Republicans resist corruption
Legislative ethics travails have mostly focused on Republican failings so far, but the ongoing trial of former House Speaker Pete Kott, R-Eagle River, is painting some in the party in a different light.

Ex-legislator's son takes stand in corruption trial
The son of a former Alaska legislator charged with corruption took the stand in his father's defense Tuesday, claiming money he took to work on his father's re-election campaign was an advance payment for flooring work, not a bribe.

Kohring plans to probe pressure to plead guilty
A former state lawmaker facing corruption charges plans to file a motion in federal court to review the relationship between the Justice Department and another state lawmaker who urged him to plead guilty, his attorney said Monday.